Depend on Christ Alone

Anyone who is depending on their own good deeds to save them or even to keep them saved they have not trusted in Christ for salvation.

 
Our salvation is not dependent on anything about us, Christ paid the penalty of sin on the cruel cross and it was all He required, all we need to do is confess our sinfulness and He does all the work of changing us, cleansing us and guiding us from then on after which He takes us home.

 
It is irrational to think that one is saved by faith alone in Christ but thinks they need to keep their own salvation as if Christ's payment was not enough, we have to do some paying of our own.

If we cannot save ourselves by dying on the cross because we are sinful, then it is irrational to think that we take any part in keeping ourselves saved through our own good works.

God said, in Hebrews 13:5 "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,”"

This was His promise to those who trust in Him, I believe Him. Nowhere in scripture does God say we can leave Him. There are those who add this to the scripture but it is not there. We have been completely changed by Him, we cannot change ourselves back into the old self. 

Noah Lost Family in the Flood Just as we will lose Family when the Rapture occurs

Next time you feel frustrated at the attitudes of family remember that Noah had a lot of relatives in the flood below the ark.

Many of those relatives were religious and thought they were good people, we know this because they had religious rituals they practiced with false gods as their focus. 

The false religion of self has dominated most people in our day. They believe since they are "special" people in their own minds, they are assured of heaven. They have not placed their trust in Jesus Christ but have claimed Him merely by using His name but retain their trust in their own goodness. They have not been changed by Christ because they want His perks but do not want Him. We know this by their rejection of His commands and principles in His Word.

Matthew 15:8-9 "8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

Those who think they are saved but have not trusted in Christ but in their own version of religion will be shocked when they pass this life if they do not repent and place their trust in Christ. 

Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

Why Your Pastor Is NOT Your Spiritual Boss!

Narcissists are Terrible Wingmen

Narcissists are terrible "wingmen", (a pilot who flies alongside the leader of a flying formation providing mutual support and backup in the accomplishment of a mission..) In other words wingmen are there for others to be a support so that the mission is able to run smoothly and successfully.

Narcissists will never be there for you when you need someone and will not allow you to be a part of their life experience. Giving help and receiving help is considered a weakness to the narcissist who thrives on the sense that they are above the need for help. They look down on anyone who needs help and cannot respect those who would like to help them.

 
One thing I have noticed with narcissists is that they will never accept help, they act as though it makes them look weak, as well as a desire to get all the glory for the accomplishment. If someone helps them they have to share the blessing, they cannot do this.

 
They are not team players who allow themselves to be subordinate to anyone else they cannot defer to others and receiving help makes a narcissist feel obligated to others something that is intolerable for them.

 
If a narcissist is to respond to a request for help it makes them feel subordinate to the person asking, so they will only help someone if it is their own idea and if it elevates them somehow. They often use the excuse that they are not responsible for others, this mantra affords them a guilt-free response to refusing to be helpful to anyone.

 
They won't believe anything you are experiencing but expect us to believe them when they share anything about themselves. Choosing to disbelieve our experiences is a way of having power over those they have little concern about. If they were to believe it they would have to engage in empathy, which is absent from their hearts. They see empathy as weakness and demean others who show it.
I have seen this a lot in situations when someone shares an experience in family dynamics, they will believe the one who denies what happened but disbelieve the one who exposes the truth.

 
Galatians 6:2 "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,"
Born-again believers love to be kind, loving, and helpful to one another. We enjoy blessing others through validation in their situations in life doing what we can, if only able to pray, it means a lot.

 
This is not about believing gossip but about believing the person who actually encountered their own experiences. If someone denies what we have been through with language like; "perhaps they didn't mean it." Or, "You must have heard that wrong", and worse, "They never said that." This is when we know we cannot trust our hearts with those who deny our experiences. When I encounter this a few times with someone I stop sharing anything with them. Why would we share with someone who is bent on making us look foolish?

 
Never go to a counselor who is not educated and familiar with narcissism, they will not understand the dynamics of the character flaws within the narcissist because they have never seen it or been the target in their own life.

 
Those who have been the target of these wicked people know very well what it looks like and would be able to fully understand the dynamics and tactics as well as the solutions to it.

 
May the Lord protect and guide all those who have been targets of these wicked people who are dominated by their own selfishness and the thoughts the devil places in their minds to further inflict emotional pain.

 
The devil uses people even more than thoughts to punish and abuse those who love Jesus Christ. He loves to tear families, communities, and churches apart through arrogance and pride, the same sin that got him thrown out of heaven.

 
James 4:7-8
"7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

The devil will tempt you through your feelings to respond in ways that delight the devil and the narcissist. Do not follow their lead, follow Christ instead.

Ephesians 6:11-13
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand."

Matthew 4:10
“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

Hallelujah!!!!

Kindness Won’t Break a Narcissist—But This Will | Jordan Peterson Motiva...

The devil's tactics are everywhere now. They dominate entire families and entire cultures. We know this because this is the end times and the devil is twisting minds continually.

 
When we know that Noah was the only family left dedicated to God, we know that it will be this way in the end times. Entire families and entire cultures will operate to destroy anyone who walks with Christ.

They are Leaving the Organized Church

It is a common story now for many born-again believers to be exiting the modern church, they are leaving the false organized church system to be alone with Christ.

Because they are alone, they grow faster and with greater wisdom than if they had remained with those superficial ritual-oriented gatherings.

I know Protestants think they are different from cults or Catholicism, but they are just the same. They have disobediently instituted leaders not according to the Bible but according to their own desire to monitor and dominate those in attendance.

The born-again believer who desires to follow Christ will want to follow all of God's principles, not to be legalistic but because doing so changes their heart from a self-exalted one to a humble heart of obedience to the One Who Knows the best that is Jesus Christ Who lives in them.

Legalists are always falsely judgmental about silly things, demanding that others follow them. When they are challenged to obey the Scriptures they become agitated and vengeful.

God's description of the Pharisees of Christ's time:

Matthew 23:4: "they "bind up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them".

Matthew 23:4-5 "…4They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,…"

Luke 20:46-47 "“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”

John 5:44

"How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"

This description of the Pharisees could be a description of the modern one-man-paid-pastor who loves his prominent position because he thinks he is superior by virtue of his man-centered education. These men have elevated education by man above the leading of the Holy Spirit. We know this because of the many things they say and do that are not Biblical including the hierarchy system of the "pastorship."

1 Peter 5:5-6

"Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you."

Those who lead according to the Bible do it by example and teaching but have no authority over the believer. To place man's authority over the believer is to place that man's authority over Christ Who lives in every believer. There is no teacher greater than the Holy Spirit.

In these last days of apostasy we will hear much wrong doctrine with arrogance and pride motivating those who love power over others. We must become strong enough to refuse to be intimidated by the manipulation, mocking, demeaning, and rejection that comes from requiring believers to obey the Word of God.

God values obedience and a humble heart more than outward religious rituals or sacrifices.

God hates dead ritual that only serves to elevate the one doing it. He is not impressed with man's rituals and holidays that God never commanded.

Mark 7:6-9 "And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!"

Many things being taught now are only the desired beliefs of those who wish to dominate others. They are not led by the Holy Spirit but by their need to feel special and elevated over others.

Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

Notice in Colossians that God tells us not to allow others to control us with their man-made ideas and the pressures of the culture that live in the modern church system.

To elevate any man as authority over you is to negate the Holy Spirit as the Authority over us. The Holy Spirit and His Bible is all we need. We enjoy the teachings of others when they obey Scripture, but we do not follow any preacher who brings a false doctrine that undermines the Bible.

Mark 7:13 "13 Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

Keep in mind that if you follow the Bible and resolve to get your answers from the Holy Spirit there will be many people who will reject you for it. They have a cultural Christianity they want you to follow. The very fact that you follow Christ and not them will make them angry.

Galatians 4:17 "They are zealous for you, but not in a good way. They want to shut you out, so that you will be zealous for them."

Those who exclude you to punish you for not following them will hope that the rejection will weaken you and cause you to give up your dedication to Christ to be with them.

This is a classic narcissistic trick, to make others feel smaller so they will elevate the narcissist and their band of followers. When you have been changed by Christ you will not miss those groups that are full of arrogance and pride, it will be a blessing to be absent from them.

As we see in the Bible "The Judaizers' actions are not driven by genuine concern for the Galatians' spiritual well-being, but rather by a desire to gain influence and control."

We see this all the time in the modern churches. Those who are ignored and gossiped against are the ones who want to obey the Scriptures and seek Jesus Christ.

Thank the Lord that He said we will be filled with joy and peace no matter what others try to do to us. Our life is full of the Heart of Jesus Christ and our destiny is secure in Him.